Educating Everyone: A Conversation on Equity and Excellence in American Schools
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General Colin Powell
65th United States Secretary of State; Founder, The America's Promise Alliance
General Colin Powell was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State in 2001 after unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He served in the military for 35 years, and rose to the rank of 4-star General. His last assignment, from October 1989 to September 1993, was as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
General Powell earned a Bachelor’s degree in geology from the City College of New York and an MBA degree from George Washington University. He also holds honorary degrees from universities and colleges across the country including Harvard.
The recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards, General Powell has also been recognized with several civilian awards, including two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President’s Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Secretary of State Distinguished Service Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal.
General Powell was the founding Chairman of America’s Promise, The Alliance for Youth, a national crusade to improve the lives of our nation’s youth. He has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of Howard University and the Board of Directors of the United Negro College Fund. The General also served on the Board of Governors of The Boys & Girls Clubs of America and was a member of the Advisory Board of the Children's Health Fund.
65th United States Secretary of State; Founder, The America's Promise Alliance
General Colin Powell was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State in 2001 after unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He served in the military for 35 years, and rose to the rank of 4-star General. His last assignment, from October 1989 to September 1993, was as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense. During this time, he oversaw 28 crises, including Operation Desert Storm in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
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David Banks
Founding Principal, Eagle Academy for Young Men
David Banks is the President of The Eagle Academy Foundation and was the Founding Principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, an innovative all-boys public high school in New York City established in 2004. As President, he is responsible for the successful leadership and management of the organization which is charged with replication of the successful Eagle model. As the Founding Principal, he was directly responsible for the development and implementation of the overall academic strategy, in addition to direct oversight of the Academy’s day-to-day operations.
The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first all-boys public high school in New York City in over thirty years, is a nurturing institution which believes that excellence, both in character and scholarship, opens doors and provides a bridge to equality. The Eagle Academy for Young Men represents a partnership between students, school staff, parents, mentors, and community partners committed to the guiding principles of academic excellence, leadership and character development. These principles are supported by our core initiatives which are mentoring, community service, extended day activities, Saturday Institute, summer programs, and parental involvement. The Eagle Academy was established as part of New York City’s twenty-first century high school reform initiative; an accomplishment achieved through a unique partnership with One Hundred Black Men, Inc.
Prior to joining The Eagle Academy, David served as the Founding Principal of The Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice. This theme-based high school provided a unique opportunity for David to combine his law and education background. During his tenure, David helped spearhead a community-wide effort to secure a permanent home for the school. As a result, Bronx Law is now housed in a $75 million, state of the art facility, representing an unprecedented partnership between the criminal justice community and an inner-city high school.
Founding Principal, Eagle Academy for Young Men
David Banks is the President of The Eagle Academy Foundation and was the Founding Principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men, an innovative all-boys public high school in New York City established in 2004. As President, he is responsible for the successful leadership and management of the organization which is charged with replication of the successful Eagle model. As the Founding Principal, he was directly responsible for the development and implementation of the overall academic strategy, in addition to direct oversight of the Academy’s day-to-day operations.
The Eagle Academy for Young Men, the first all-boys public high school in New York City in over thirty years, is a nurturing institution which believes that excellence, both in character and scholarship, opens doors and provides a bridge to equality. The Eagle Academy for Young Men represents a partnership between students, school staff, parents, mentors, and community partners committed to the guiding principles of academic excellence, leadership and character development. These principles are supported by our core initiatives which are mentoring, community service, extended day activities, Saturday Institute, summer programs, and parental involvement. The Eagle Academy was established as part of New York City’s twenty-first century high school reform initiative; an accomplishment achieved through a unique partnership with One Hundred Black Men, Inc.
Prior to joining The Eagle Academy, David served as the Founding Principal of The Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice. This theme-based high school provided a unique opportunity for David to combine his law and education background. During his tenure, David helped spearhead a community-wide effort to secure a permanent home for the school. As a result, Bronx Law is now housed in a $75 million, state of the art facility, representing an unprecedented partnership between the criminal justice community and an inner-city high school.
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Rhena Jasey
Founding Teacher, The Equity Project Charter School
Rhena Jasey currently is one of the founding teachers at The Equity Project Charter School (“TEP”) in Washington Heights. She teaches fifth grade math and serves as the Assessment Coordinator for TEP, where each of the teachers has responsibility for specific administrative functions. The school is premised on the theory that excellent teachers are the critical ingredient for success. The eight founding teachers were culled from a nationwide pool of 600 applicants.
Prior to joining TEP, Ms. Jasey taught for six years at the Seth Boyden Demonstration School, a Title I school in the Maplewood/South Orange, New Jersey school district where she grew up and attended the public schools. At Seth Boyden the teachers implemented Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences approach. Ms. Jasey did her practice teaching at PS 372 in Brooklyn and at PS 87 in Manhattan. Ms. Jasey earned a B.A. cum laude in Psychology from Harvard University. She also holds a M.Ed., in Education Leadership, with a concentration in Public School Leadership, and a M.A., in Elementary/Childhood Education, both from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Ms. Jasey was pictured on the front page of the New York Times in an article about TEP last spring. She is part of an ongoing documentary “The Teacher Salary Project” and was recently interviewed by Katie Couric for a “60 Minutes” piece to air in September.
Founding Teacher, The Equity Project Charter School
Rhena Jasey currently is one of the founding teachers at The Equity Project Charter School (“TEP”) in Washington Heights. She teaches fifth grade math and serves as the Assessment Coordinator for TEP, where each of the teachers has responsibility for specific administrative functions. The school is premised on the theory that excellent teachers are the critical ingredient for success. The eight founding teachers were culled from a nationwide pool of 600 applicants.
Prior to joining TEP, Ms. Jasey taught for six years at the Seth Boyden Demonstration School, a Title I school in the Maplewood/South Orange, New Jersey school district where she grew up and attended the public schools. At Seth Boyden the teachers implemented Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences approach. Ms. Jasey did her practice teaching at PS 372 in Brooklyn and at PS 87 in Manhattan. Ms. Jasey earned a B.A. cum laude in Psychology from Harvard University. She also holds a M.Ed., in Education Leadership, with a concentration in Public School Leadership, and a M.A., in Elementary/Childhood Education, both from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Ms. Jasey was pictured on the front page of the New York Times in an article about TEP last spring. She is part of an ongoing documentary “The Teacher Salary Project” and was recently interviewed by Katie Couric for a “60 Minutes” piece to air in September.
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Odell Patterson
Graduating Senior, The Eagle Academy for Young Men
Odell Patterson is a senior at the Eagle Academy for Young Men. He has served on student government since his freshmen year at Eagle and is currently President of Student Government. Odell has received academic honors every year at the Eagle Academy.
In 2007, he was awarded the Church Of God In Christ International Young Man of Valor Award, where he represented over 2 million young men in the 7.5 million-member church organization. He currently works for the Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg.
In September he will be attending either Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, or Wabash College in Crawfordsville, IN.
Graduating Senior, The Eagle Academy for Young Men
Odell Patterson is a senior at the Eagle Academy for Young Men. He has served on student government since his freshmen year at Eagle and is currently President of Student Government. Odell has received academic honors every year at the Eagle Academy.
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Yvette Crespo
Parent Coordinator and Parent, The Eagle Academy for Young Men
Yvette Crespo is the Parent Coordinator and Enrollment Specialist for The Eagle Academy for Young Men in the South Bronx, New York. The Eagle Academy for Young Men is an innovative all-boys public school committed to academic excellence, character development and community service.
Yvette is also the Parent Engagement Liaison for the Eagle Academy Foundation (EAF). EAF opened and supports the Bronx school, opened a second school in Brooklyn in 2008, and will open a third school in Southeast, Queens in 2010. EAF is committed to educating and mentoring young men into future leaders.
Before joining The Eagle Academy, Yvette was the Family Coordinator at the Bronx School for Law, Government & Justice. She was also an Administrative Assistant for the Office of State Assemblyman Peter Rivera, as well as Family Assistant at Eastside House Headstart Daycare.
A native New Yorker, Yvette was born and raised in the Bronx. In 1979, she graduated from Norman Thomas High School. Encouraged and inspired by her daughter, and the young men of the Eagle Academy, Yvette return to school and graduated from the College of New Rochelle with her Bachelor’s Degree in 2009.
Parent Coordinator and Parent, The Eagle Academy for Young Men
Yvette Crespo is the Parent Coordinator and Enrollment Specialist for The Eagle Academy for Young Men in the South Bronx, New York. The Eagle Academy for Young Men is an innovative all-boys public school committed to academic excellence, character development and community service.
A native New Yorker, Yvette was born and raised in the Bronx. In 1979, she graduated from Norman Thomas High School. Encouraged and inspired by her daughter, and the young men of the Eagle Academy, Yvette return to school and graduated from the College of New Rochelle with her Bachelor’s Degree in 2009.
